The mayor of Colorado Springs, Yemi Mobolade, partnered with community organizations and set a goal for 1,000 neighborhood gatherings in our city in 2024. As of now the city has recorded 453 times neighbors have come together for potlucks, backyard picnics, impromptu sports activities in parks, etc., so we’re well on our way to meeting the goal.
Why? Because connection matters. There is an epidemic of loneliness in our society and our city at the base of Pikes Peak is not immune to this problem. A person can have half a million friends on social media and still feel lonely. Newcomers to town may find it hard to meet anyone. Hard working neighbors come home weary, enter their homes through their garages, and stay inside. There’s no connection.
Studies have proven that feeling alone can lead to mental illness, so our city set out “to encourage neighbors to connect with one another to address social isolation and loneliness.” Each neighborhood event held can then be registered on the city’s website.
The neighborhood we live in had a head start. Every summer our HOA sponsors monthly gatherings in our common area where neighbors can chat and eat together. In June we enjoyed wine and cheese. This month we had an ice cream social. Next month is a dessert gathering. What’s not to like? A few stick-on name tags, some extra camp chairs, and we’ve got ourselves a party.
Could making an effort to connect be the answer not only to loneliness, but to problems like neighborhood disputes and crime as well? Once we know someone, we’re much more likely to work out an issue with a dog or a fence before it escalates, or to keep watch over someone’s house when they are on vacation. As the sense of community grows, so does the feeling that we belong—that we aren’t alone after all. And it starts with connection.
Connection could even help us get through this election season with fewer wounds. Respect for one another’s opinions, and maybe having a second serving of ice cream instead of regaling a neighbor with exactly what we think and why, could go a long way toward closing the huge divide we have in our country now. Since the assassination attempt on former President Trump, both parties have talked about tempering the hateful rhetoric. Maybe they will do so and maybe they won’t, but we can do our part. With God’s help, we can think twice before we speak, use language that is respectful, and love our neighbors as ourselves.
Those who watch The Chosen series get an inside glimpse into the life Jesus shared with His disciples, who didn’t always get along well with one another in case you didn’t know. This disgruntled bunch must have been dismayed when He said as recorded in John 13:34, “A new command I give you.” They had spent their lives trying to live up to all the commandments of the Jewish faith, so they wouldn’t be too excited to hear about a new one. Imagine their surprise when He continued, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Love. The best connection of all. And the best way to combat loneliness and isolation in our society.
It’s vacation time again and I’m thinking about all the souvenirs I collected on vacations past. Some I still have and others have traveled elsewhere, but it’s fun to remember them all.
I live in Colorado where we might have crocuses peeking through the snow any day in May. But we can rely on the traditions May brings to assure us that while it may not feel like May outside, it really is the month predicted to follow April showers with flowers.
Cinco de Mayo also lets us know it’s May even if the weather outside doesn’t seem to agree. A Mexican holiday, it’s widely celebrated in the United States, especially in states like ours with large Mexican-American populations. Sometimes celebrated with parades and parties, the date commemorates the Mexican Army’s victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. It’s a meaningful holiday for many, and a wonderful excuse for everyone to enjoy some tacos and enchiladas.
Do you know the Legend of the Dogwood? It’s just that. A legend. But it does add an element of spiritual significance to our enjoyment of one of the most beautiful trees of spring.
The legend says Jesus recognized the tree’s distress and to ensure it would never be used in such a cruel way again, decreed that from that day forward dogwood trees would be small and slender, often with a twisted trunk.
If you’ve ever looked closely at a dogwood blossom, you know there are four petals forming the shape of the cross. The marks in the center of each flower resemble nail holes. The edge of each petal has a darker tinge, symbolizing the blood shed by Jesus when He died on the cross for our sins. I love that part of the legend, so I think of it whenever I see a dogwood blossom. I add gratitude for my salvation to my enjoyment of the blossom’s natural beauty.
This year I was blessed to arrive in my hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, just as the dogwood trees were at their peak. My sisters and I traversed as many of the designated “dogwood trails” in town as we could. I was always on the lookout for pink and white dogwoods adjacent to one another because I love the contrast. If a blazing azalea bush was nearby, so much the better!
Friends, it’s Friday, but Sunday’s comin’! Many of you may have heard this classic sermon from Dr. S. M. (Shadrach Meshach) Lockridge (March 7, 1913–April 4, 2000), but there’s no better time to listen to it again. He was the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, a prominent African-American congregation in San Diego, CA. Read his powerful words below, then search for “My King” by him on YouTube to hear his awesome, Spirit-filled delivery of this and other sermons.
He’s the highest personality in philosophy. He’s the fundamental doctrine of true theology. He’s the only one qualified to be an all sufficient Saviour.
His life is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His Word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous. And His yoke is easy. And His burden is light.
All the talking heads on TV are currently postulating about who is or isn’t too old to run for President of the United States. As someone whose last birthday put her a year closer to 80 than 70, it frustrates me that so often chronological age is the only factor mentioned. What we should be concerned about is not age, but mental acuity and physical stamina.
